Benson comment on Taino artifacts

By L. Benson, 20 November 1996

There is interest in Haiti in Taino artefacts as well as in the
apparent remnant of Taino still thought to be present in the
nineteenth century, as evidenced by laws against intermarriage. Look
at Jean Foucahrd's Les Marrons et Syllabaire and Langue et
Literature des Aborigines d'Ayiti. [That name was FOUCHARD, Jean]
A Taino ceremonial seat from Haiti is photographed in Oct. 23
Christian Science Monitor as one of the items in the expanded
collection in Paris: Museum of African and Oceanic art; and there was
a major exhibition of Taino works, principally from Haiti in Paris
about four years ago. There is a hnadsome (and expensive) catalogue of
the exhibition. In Haiti, Gardere, whose address I cannot locate fast
enought right now, has been fining and saving Taino objects since his
youth. The Fondation pour le Preservation...of Haitian Culture, in
Petionville also has objects supposed to be Taino, but which need to
be authenticated. Some do claim that in Haiti, the Taino gene pool
has completely merged with those of the incoming populations from
Europe and Africa. Again, I present this without any assurance that it
is documented. I do know that there IS interest in Haiti and among
Haitianists in the significant Taino heritage.